Sleigh-body



Sleigh Body. No. 239,729. Patented April 5, l88l.

Wilnssea' v I nae/2207':

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. CHAPMAN, or WHITE' ATER, WISCONSIN.

SLElGH-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,729, dated April 5,1881.

Application filed March 12, 1881. (ModeL) provements in Sleigh-Bodies,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of sleighs commonly known in the artas swell-side cutters and it consists in a side panel thereforconstructed in one piece in the form and manner hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing my panel in position; Fig. 2, aperspective view of the panel detached.

Hitherto swell-side cutters have been given the under swellof the bodyby means of an expensive and complicated combination of framing andinserted panels, which was greatly deficient in strength. My im-entionis designed to overcome the expense and other objections incident tosuch construction.

A represents the side arm of the body, which will be made integral withthe back, as usual, and B the usual brail or sill-rail, attached at itsend to the back and extended thence downward and forward, with the frontends curved upward to sustain the floor and dash-board.

0 represents my panel, curved upward at the rear and upward and inwardat the front, and having in cross-section an inclination upward from theinner edge. 'It is made com plete in one piece, being cut from a flatplank in proper shape and then bent and set into the form represented,so as to fit at its inner edge snugly against the outer side of brail B,and at its rear end against the inside edge of the side arm, A. Betweenthe front of arm Aand the front end of the sleigh the outer edge of thepanel is exposed and forms the side of the body. I

The panel maybe united in any suitable manner to the other parts, but itis preferred to secure it to the brail by screws passing through thelatter and to connect it with the side arm by inside angle-irons, a, asrepresented.

By the use of a panel such as described I am able to produce a sleighwhich is cheaper,-

stronger, and neater in appearance than those now in use.

It will be noted that under my construction the side of the bodyconsists of but two piecesviz., the arm-piece or upper section and myside panel or lower section.

It will also be noted that under the construction shown the frame-pieceor rail usually em ployed between the upper and lower sections and theseries of 'ribs usually employed to sustain and hold the lower sectionare dispensed with.

My invention relates to the lower section or swell-panel, made in theone piece and extend ing' from end to end, as shown, and of suchstrength and stiffness as to keep itself in shape without the assistanceof ribs; and it should not be confounded with the arm-sections in commonuse nor with the intermediate armbelt sometimes used to connect thearm-panel and the side panel with each other. My panel connects at oneedge directly to the usual armpanel, and at the other directly to thebrail or sill at the bottom of the body.

I am aware of the patent granted to J. Shire, May 16, 1876, in whicheach side of the body consists of three pieces; andIlay no claim to theconstruction therein shown.

What I claim as myinvention is 1. A swell-body for sleighs, having eachside composed of but two pieces, an arm-section, A, and aself-sustaining panel, 0, made of one piece of wood shaped and bent intoform, as described and shown.

2. In a swell-body sleigh, the combination of the brail B, thearm-section A, and the intermediate side panel, 0, made in one piece, inthe form and man ner described, and secured at its edges directly to thebrail and arm-section.

3. Abottom-side panelforswell-bodlysleighs made in one continuous selfsustaini'ng piece, adapted to extend the entire length of the body, asshown and described.

JOHN A. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL BISHOP, J osEPH H. PAGE.

